Unsafe Commercial Drivers and Vehicles Taken Out of Service in Yellowstone

Recent safety inspections of commercial buses in Yellowstone National Park resulted in the immediate arrest of 38-year-old Shaked Paz, of Forest Hills, New York, and the impounding of the 14-passenger bus he was driving under the auspices of Sun Charter and Tour, Inc., of Brooklyn, New York.

Originally arrested for operating with a suspended driver's license, Paz appeared on June 16 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Cole in the Yellowstone Justice Center at Mammoth Hot Springs. He pleaded guilty to "Operating a Commercial Vehicle After the Effective Date of an Unsatisfactory Rating," because Sun Charter and Tour, Inc., had been prohibited by the U.S. Department of Transportation from interstate operation of commercial passenger vehicles due to being significantly out of compliance with safety regulations for equipment and/or drivers.

Paz was fined $235 and placed on unsupervised probation for one year, during which time he is banned from operating a motor vehicle in Yellowstone National Park.

The recent safety inspections resulted in 1 arrest, 3 drivers and 4 vehicles being taken out of service, and 8 citations being issued. Fifty-three vehicles were inspected.

This is the 13th year of an interagency inspection program in which Yellowstone National Park rangers and state and federal transportation officials conduct inspections designed to ensure the safe operation and mechanical soundness of commercial buses and trucks on Yellowstone's roadways. This effort helps protect visitors, park employees and park resources from potential mishaps. Both the vehicle and the driver are evaluated in order to ensure full compliance with federal regulations that govern commercial vehicle operation.